HAMILTON - A Russellville man thought to be behind a rash of burglaries--including the theft of some guns--is sitting in the Marion County Jail in Hamilton in lieu of $500,000 bond, according to Marion County Sheriff Kevin Williams.

Williams said in a release on July 17 that Faron Dean Angus, 44, Russellville, was arrested on July 8 for three counts of third-degree burglary, first-degree attempted theft of property, first-degree theft of property, third-degree theft of property, possession of burglary tools, third-degree criminal mischief and second-degree criminal mischief.

Angus, who is described on the arrest report as being unemployed and a Russellville native, remained in the county jail as of July 18. Williams said in a July 17 interview with the Journal Record that he had suggested the $500,000 and District Judge Mark Hammitte agreed to set it at that amount.

The case came to light with the basic charges, arrest and the $500,000 bond in the weekly sheriff’s report faxed to the Journal Record on July 14. Williams released more information after a request from the newspaper due to the unusually high bond amount.

“This man was responsible for eight burglaries in our county, multiple burglaries in Franklin County and one or two burglaries in Lawrence County,” Williams said in an interview, noting charges are expected to come later in the other counties. Officers in those counties are still investigating their respective cases.

Investigation continues into the Marion County cases, as local law enforcement can prove three of the eight local cases and he remains a suspect in the other five cases, the sheriff said.

“He is a very dangerous individual who is on meth,” Williams said, noting he also had stolen guns. To the sheriff, that made Angus an armed and dangerous suspect.

“But according to state officials, he is a non-violent offender,” based on the new classifications of charges approved by the Alabama Legislature. Williams, a former president of the Alabama Sheriffs’ Association, has come out opposed to the changes in classification. “He’s been in prison six times. He was released in 2014.

“His method of operation, you might say, was picking houses when no one was home, kicking in the door and taking whatever he could steal, such as guns, jewelry, medications, food--anything he could possibly steal.

“We considered him armed and dangerous because we had some firearms missing, and we still have some firearms missing. We don’t know where they are at. He (Angus) will not cooperate with us. He’s been through the system.”

Williams noted in a written statement submitted to the Journal Record that Angus had a long background in crime, with 70 charges brought against him over the years.

“Out of the total 70 charges, 42 of those were felony charges. He already has 20 burglary charges and eight theft charges,” Williams said in the July 17 statement.

Williams said Angus had been in and out of the state prison system since 1998, with his most recent release in February 2014.

The sheriff noted that his department received calls from June 17 through July 7 involving cases of burglary and theft.

“These reports taken by deputies were all in the rural South Haleyville and Bear Creek areas. There were a total of seven cases where forcible entry was made and one case where an attempt was made to enter the home,” Williams said in the statement. “When the first report came in on June 17, investigators started to work on the case and, after receiving the additional cases, investigators believe it was the same person or persons committing these burglaries.

“During the investigation, information of a possible suspect was given by a victim on Cherry Hill Road that met a male in a vehicle in her driveway. This victim said the male was asking for directions and once he drove off, she noticed the trunk on his car was open and when she drove up and got out, (she) noticed her door had been kicked open and items were stolen.”

Williams said that on July 6, another victim on County Road 48 told investigators that the victim arrived home at 6:30 a.m. and saw a vehicle parked next to the victim’s home. A white male was seen walking out of the victim’s garage.

“This victim was able to take a picture of the suspect’s vehicle, which clearly displayed the tag number. After that, the victim tried to block him in and called 911,” Williams said.

Investigators confirmed Angus by the tag number. During this time, sheriff’s deputies had been doing extra patrols in the area. In addition, investigators were also patrolling the area in search of the suspect’s vehicle.

“Franklin and Winston counties had already been contacted and Faron Angus was suspected in several burglaries in their jurisdictions as well,” Williams said. “The picture of the truck was passed along to several different police and sheriff’s departments to be on the lookout.”

On July 8, an employee of the Bear Creek Water Department got behind Angus’ vehicle on State Highway 13.

“Faron Angus was arrested in Haleyville on Alabama Avenue after a confrontation and pursuit from Haleyville police officers, which led to damaging the suspect’s vehicle and a Haleyville Police Department vehicle, along with a house and building,” he said.

In the July 17 interview, Williams said that the water department had been tipped off by the sheriff’s department about Angus. A water employee got behind Angus on Highway 13 on July 8, and alerted police by radio.

A car chase by police started, and Angus hit a house and then a building, wrecking a city vehicle in the process, Williams said.

“He would not stop,” he said. “One of the Haleyville officers crashed into him. He gets out of the truck, grabs him by the hair of the head, (but) the guy puts it into gear and starts trying to leave. Another Haleyville police officer blocks him in, and that’s how they got him.”

Angus was taken to the ground and handcuffed, and deputies took him to the Marion County Jail, he said.

In the end, investigators recovered some of the stolen jewelry and some items that were taken out of Franklin County, the sheriff said in his statement.

The arrest report indicated that at the time of the arrest, Angus was not armed and did not resist arrest, but had been drinking. He was arrested at 3:02 p.m. on July 8.

“I am very happy that we were able to apprehend this guy,” Williams said in the interview, saying he appreciated all the law enforcement agencies in the counties involved. He noted every law enforcement agency in Marion County was looking for Angus.

(When a defendant is charged with a crime, the charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.)